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Dr. Ronald Berezney

Professor
Cooke 637
phone: (716) 645-2363 ext: 154
e-mail: berezney@buffalo.edu
Further research info

Research Summary

The identification of a skeletal structure in the cell nucleus, termed the nuclear matrix, has provided a new stimulus for investigating the relationships of nuclear form and function in the eukaryotic cell. Using combined structural, molecular, and computer imaging approaches, we are studying the functional organization, assembly, and cell cycle regulation of higher order units of replication, transcription and RNA splicing in the cell nucleus. Work is in progress on three-dimensional visualization of the replication and transcription of specific gene sequences at spatially defined, individual sites. In another series of experiments we are using cloning and DNA transfection approaches in combination with real time laser scanning confocal microscopy and multidimensional image analysis to visualize and track in 3D space and time, replication and transcription sites in living cells.

Selected Publications

• Berezney R, Mortillaro, M., Ma, H., Wei, X., & Samarabandu, J.(1995) The nuclear matrix: A structural milieu for genomic function. In: International Reviews of Cytology, Vol 162A, eds. R Berezney & K.W. Jeon, Academic Press, New York, 1-65. (Review Chapter)
• Mortillaro, MJ, Blencowe, BJ., Wei, X., Nakayasu, H., Du, L, Warren, SL, Sharp, P & Berezney, R (1996) A hyperphosphorylated form of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II is associated with splicing complexes and the nuclear matrix. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 93, 8253-8257.
• Patturajan, M, Wei, X, Berezney, R & Cordon, JL (1998) A nuclear matrix protein interacts with the phosphorylated C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II Molec. Cell. Biol., 18, 2406-2415
• Mortillaro, M & Berezney, R (1998) Matrin CYP, an SR-rich cyclophilin that associates with the nuclear matrix and splicing factors. J. Biol. Chem., 273, 8183-8192
• Ma, H, Samarabandu, J, Devdhar, RS, Acharya, R, Cheng, P-C, Meng, C & Berezney, R (1998) Spatial and temporal dynamics of DNA replication sites in mammalian cells. J. Cell Biol., 143, 1415-1425.